When at my best I embodied temptation
Made to appeal to the eye
Innocent children would gasp with elation,
"A house made of Candy!," they'd cry.

Bespelled by a Witch with dastardly design--
Made evil in spite of myself --
Constructed with purpose surely not benign,
Luring those poor children to death.

Unable to stop them from coming inside,
(The Witch never gave me a voice)
I hoped that in my nooks and crannies they'd hide,
For if they escaped I'd rejoice!

Then two children came, so much smarter than most,
Wary of the Witch's lovin',
They outwitted their blind, unfortunate host--
Shoved her right into the oven!

My gingerbread walls simply shuddered with glee
No more accomplice to killing!
And Hansel and Gretel could now stay with me
Content and happy, God willing.

Sadly, it seems, with the Witch gone forever,
So was my spell of protection,
Gingerbread molds, gumdrops lose hold: weather
Marred my confection complexion.

Now I'm alone in the woods slowly rotting,
My roof made of sugar, not slate!
Slowly dissolving, guilty and forgotten--
Alas, my unfortunate fate.